Who Knew Video Games Could Make You Lose Weight?

For the last few months, everything has been Wii, Wii, Wii. Everyone wanted one, no one could get one (except me!) and sadly, one woman even died trying to hold her wee for a Wii. Despite the "do you have one?" chatter, there has also been great talk about the fact that the console gets gamers out of their chairs and on the move. The Sports Pack, which comes with the Wii, features an interactive Wii Sports kit that includes a workout option. One courageous man at wiinintendo.net has actually challenged himself to a “Wii Sports Experiment," where he set a six week game plan for himself, the idea being that he would continue all normal activity and eating habits, and simply add 30 minutes of Wii Sports to his day.
First off, I love the idea and the fact that the Wii got at least one video gamer to think about how sedentary we can become when we get hooked on electronics. I also love the fact that he stuck with his goal and made use of a program most people are probably skipping over. For tips on how he did it and more pictures, read more

Mad Wii man and now fitness guru Mickey DeLorenzo, a 25-year-old living in Philadelphia, explains how he feels about the results on the site saying:

I was pretty surprised by these shots, In the side shot photos I can see a noticeable reduction in my belly area, upper chest, and my neck/chin area. (and no, my ass didn’t shrink, my pants are bunched up in the “before” photo). In the front facing shots I noticed an obvious visual difference in my body fat. My after picture reveals some abs that were hidden under those 9lbs. of flab. I also see my “love handle” area was reduced, smaller neck, smaller upper chest and better muscle definition. (granted I’m no body builder, but I do see some muscles in there, I think).

Mickey measured his: BMI, calories burned per session/per game, body fat % (via a Digital Body Fat Caliper and a body fat scale), heart rate (at rest), Wii Fitness Age and additional notes and soreness. You can check out the full results of his study at wiinintendo.net.

There are A LOT of people who have lost weight playing Dance Dance revolution. Some schools have any included the game as part of their PE because its something that kids actually want to do and it helps to keep them in shape